In this case, “communication system” shall mean a system constituted by at least one part of a satellite network comprising at least one broadcasting satellite, potentially of a geostationary type, and of at least one part of a terrestrial repeater network, installed at known locations and potentially coupled to (or installed in) base stations of a radio access network of a radio communication network. Such satellite(s) and terrestrial repeaters have, in particular, the task to broadcast contents intended for radio communication terminals. Such broadcast may take place either simultaneously via the satellite(s) and the terrestrial repeaters (receiving feeds from one or more satellite(s), potentially different from the satellite(s) providing the feeds to the radio communication terminals), or by means of a terrestrial network), which requires hybrid receiver radio communication terminals, or, alternatively, only via the repeaters (which receive their feed(s) via the satellite(s)).
Moreover, in this context the term “content” refers to voluminous sets of data defining a television, video, or audio (radio or music) program, or games, or multimedia, or a computer data file.
Furthermore, in this context a “radio communication terminal” shall be any (mobile or portable) communication equipment capable at least of receiving contents transmitted by means of waves (potentially via a satellite). Consequently, such equipment may also include mobile or cellular telephones, personal digital assistants (or PDAs), a television program radio receiver device, such as a video player or portable television set, a device for receiving video or music programs, a laptop computer, or a radio device installed on-board a vehicle (such as a car, truck, bus, train or similar).
In the abovementioned broadcasting systems, the terrestrial repeaters generally receive the contents to be relayed (or repeated) to radio (communication) terminals from a single source. The source is either a satellite of the satellite network of the broadcasting system (including the terrestrial repeaters), or else a terrestrial network. Accordingly, the terrestrial repeater can repeat (or relay) the radio signals (which represent the contents to be broadcast) In only one of the three following ways: reception and retransmission in the frequency band used by the satellite and the radio communication terminals (e.g. the S band), reception in the frequency band used by the satellite (e.g. the Ku or Ka band) and retransmission within the frequency band of the radio communication terminals, and terrestrial reception and retransmission within the frequency band of the radio communication terminals.
As a result of this single source feed, terrestrial repeaters become unable to perform their function when there is a problem between the source of the contents and the repeaters. In any event, most terrestrial repeaters only repeat in their entirety the contents received, and can therefore not locally insert and/or delete content, e.g. in order to broadcast different contents depending on the region where they are installed.
The purpose of the invention is therefore to improve the situation.